Many computer applications have audio features. The audio features may include indicator sounds to inform a user of certain system events. Other audio features are more complex, such as playback of music files. In order to transmit an audio feature to a user, a computer application typically interacts with a device driver that controls audio hardware, such as a sound card. The audio hardware may provide the audio feature via an audio output device, such as a speaker.
In many computer environments, multiple computer applications can operate at the same time, and each application may include audio features to be provided to the audio hardware. Further, some audio features may have a higher priority than other features. For example, it may be important for a commercial audio computer application that no other audio features are provided to the audio hardware while the commercial audio computer application is operating. Such “audio interruptions” can lead to undesirable performance of the commercial audio computer application.
The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.